"You can't beat Usman... and not become the GOAT" - Chael Sonnen believes Khamzat Chimaev will achieve MMA GOAT status if he beats Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya
Chael Sonnen believes Khamzat Chimaev will become the MMA GOAT if he defeats both Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya.
Speaking on his Beyond the Fight YouTube show, the former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight title challenger answered a fan's question on Twitter. He was asked where 'The American Gangster' would rank Chimaev if he triumphed over the Nigerian duo of Usman and Adesanya and claimed the UFC welterweight and middleweight belts, respectively.
"Number one, come on! You set it up. That was a slow ball right down the middle. He's completely undefeated. Now, he has got all the hype. You're telling me he is going to be an undefeated champ champ, which has never been done before... You can't beat Usman who is the current GOAT and not become the GOAT," said Sonnen.
Watch Chael Sonnen speak about Khamzat Chimaev, Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya below:
'Borz' holds a 10-0 record in his professional MMA career and last fought Li Jingliang at UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi. He won the encounter via submission three minutes and 16 seconds into the first round.
Nate Diaz suggests Conor McGregor should fight Khamzat Chimaev next
UFC President Dana White previously hinted that the UFC was interested in booking Nate Diaz against Khamzat Chimaev. However, the Stockton native reportedly hasn't agreed to the fight.
Diaz has now suggested that the injured Conor McGregor should square off against Chimaev in his return to the octagon.
White said during his appearance on the Jim Rome Podcast that McGregor was raring to make a comeback. Diaz responded to the statement on Twitter by claiming that Chimaev would be the ideal 'easy new guy' for the Irishman.
"Let him fight kamrat (Khamzat), that be a great fight to make. He needs a easy new guy to fight anyway he can taper back in and see if he can even still fight at all. Great idea Nate. Thanks," posted Diaz.
Here is Nate Diaz's tweet suggesting that the UFC should book Conor McGregor vs. Khamzat Chimaev:
Let him fight kamrat that be a great fight to make
He needs a easy new guy to fight anyway he can taper back in and see if he can even still fight at all
Great idea Nate 👏
Thanks 💯 https://t.co/WyAj1oVsVu
A trilogy fight between Diaz (20-13) and McGregor (22-6) has also been rumored to be on the cards. The former won the first bout between the two via submission in March 2016, while the latter made it 1-1 in August that year with a majority decision victory.